


I Wanna Be Bad

by tiggertink08



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Akumatized Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Lila the Liar, Marinette's friends suck, Marinette's had enough, Miraculous salt, Season/Series 03 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-09-20
Packaged: 2020-07-23 08:48:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20005558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiggertink08/pseuds/tiggertink08
Summary: After Lila finally makes good on her promise to take Marinette's friends away from her, Hawkmoth finally succeeds in akumatizing her.With Ladybug temporarily out of commission, Chat Noir is going to need all the help he can get.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As of the time this was written, the most recently released episode is Ikari Gozen, so if you haven't been keeping up with season 3, beware.
> 
> Also, hope you're not on a low sodium diet, 'cause this one's a little salty. ;P

"Marinette, please! You have to calm down!" 

Tikki's panicked voice floated through Marinette's muddled consciousness as she continued running blindly through the city. Tears streamed down her face and her breath came in gasping sobs. She paid no heed to where she was going; taking turns at random, with no particular destination in mind. She just needed to get away. As far as possible from _that place_ and _those people_ ; the ones she used to call friends.

How could they do that to her? How could they be so taken in by that liar?

Lila had finally made good on her threat to take Marinette's friends from her. Even Adrien, who _knew_ she was a liar and had promised to stand by her. Them against the world, that was what he'd promised. Yet, while the entire class turned on her, he stood there and did nothing. Not a single word of defense for the girl he continuously claimed to be a "good friend". 

He'd had the grace to look guilty, but what did that matter when he still refused to do anything?

She still wasn't entirely sure how it had happened. It felt so sudden, the change in everyone's opinion of her; but she couldn't believe they were all so easily manipulated as to flip _that_ easily. No, it must have happened gradually. Lila continually whispering lies and casting doubt while Marinette was too busy with her many responsibilities to notice. All it had taken, was one more small attempt to debunk one of her stories, and they'd had enough. 

Suddenly, the entire class (with the exception of Chloe, who couldn't have cared less) was ganging up on her. They called her a bully. A desperate attention seeker. Said she was just jealous of Lila; of how amazing she was, of the attention she was receiving. That was why she tried to turn them all against her, even as Lila tried 'so hard' to be her friend despite her disdain.

Can you imagine? _Marinette_ , jealous of _Lila_? 

Marinette, who had designed a hat Gabriel Agreste chose to feature in one of his shows? One that had impressed Audrey Bourgeois enough to offer her a job in New York? Marinette, who had designed sunglasses and album covers for Jagged Stone? Who's costume designs for Kitty Section had been featured on TV despite the best efforts of XY and his father to _steal_ them? Who's uncle, an award-winning chef, had renamed one of his most popular dishes after her? 

The very notion was ridiculous, and yet, they all believed it. 

After all the things she had done? All the favors, the gifts, the words of encouragement, the helping hand she'd given them all? All without expecting anything in return. They had called her their 'everyday Ladybug', for goodness sake. And they actually believed she would be so cruel? So vindictive? So _petty_?

Her steps came to an abrupt halt when she found herself at a dead end, staring at a brick wall at the end of a narrow alley. A tiny red figure appeared in front of her eyes, begging her to take a deep breath and reign in her emotions. She couldn't attract an akuma when she was the only one who could purify them. It was too dangerous.

A part of her knew, Tikki was right. They couldn't afford for Ladybug to be compromised. But she was just so _tired_. Tired of being the only one who wasn't allowed to _feel_ , because her responsibilities were too great. She was a teenage girl for crying out loud! Even Chat was allowed to sulk and pout, while she was always expected to take the high road. Always. 

Tikki's high voice pitched even higher and Marinette didn't have to look to know what had her so anxious.

"Marinette! Please! You can do this, you've done it before. Just fight back your emotions!"

The tears stopped as determination set in. 

_Deep breath in._

"I'm sorry, Tikki."

"Marinette! No-" the little kwami's words cut off as she ripped the earrings from her ears and tossed them aside. 

From the corner of her eye, she saw the little black butterfly land on her wrist, sinking into the beaded charm bracelet; the last remnant of her now nonexistent friendships. Blessed calm overtook her as a familiar voice spoke in her mind.

"Hello, Miss Miraculous. You're always the one there for your friends, but none were there when _you_ needed them. They put their faith in a liar you were powerless to protect them from."

Hawkmoth smiled, feeling a surge of anger through the telepathic connection. He'd tried to akumatize this girl multiple times before, but had been thwarted each time. This time was different. It was the strongest aura of negative emotion he'd ever felt. Betrayal, pain, anger, a strong sense of righteous injustice. She would be his most powerful akuma yet. 

"I can give you the power you lack to seek justice. The power of _every_ victim. But, I need something in return."

"Consider it done."

Her determination was almost a physical thing. He could feel it in his core. 

Finally, he would succeed.

* * *

"Master! Master!" 

Wayzz zipped out of Fu's pocket, yellow eyes wide with alarm. Ducking into a side street, away from prying eyes, Fu waited for the turtle kwami to explain. 

"I sense a disturbance, much stronger than any we've seen yet!"

"You think Ladybug and Chat Noir will need extra assistance for this one?" He mentally calculated the distance from here to the school. He'd taken to keeping the miraculous with him at all times since Hawkmoth discovered his identity. It was risky to have them out in the open, but safer than leaving them behind somewhere to be found. He just needed to get to wherever Marinette and her friends were to distribute them.

"That's the problem, Master. I can't sense Tikki anymore. She's no longer active."

Icy dread washed over him at the implication that Ladybug herself had been akumatized.

"Do you know where the akuma is? Can you take us there?" He needed to see it for himself.

Wayzz nodded, and began flying down the side street as Fu followed. A few blocks later, they came upon an empty alleyway. 

"It was just here," Wayzz said quietly.

The pair snuck carefully down the narrow pathway towards the dead end. There, on the ground, lay a pair of discarded red and black earrings. The dread solidified in Fu's stomach at this confirmation that Ladybug had indeed been compromised. One thing didn't make sense though.

If Marinette had thrown away her earrings before being akumatized, and she knew Hawkmoth would want them, why did she leave them here?

He bent to scoop them up, just as a figure materialized behind him and Wayzz gasped loudly. "Master, lookout!"

Instinctively, Fu dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the sticky web that had been shot at him. In the same breath, he called for his transformation, becoming Jade Turtle for the first time in ages, and immediately invoked his power, creating a shield around himself. 

He watched as the akuma shifted from a giant spider into a massive rock monster and began pounding away on the barrier. The akuma continued shifting through different forms of previous victims, trying their powers out against the shield, which held firm. 

He realized then, just how clever Marinette truly was. She'd left the earrings purposely to draw him to her, and used Vanisher's power to turn invisible while she waited for him to come and collect the earrings. She knew he kept the miraculous with him now, and planned to collect them all at once. With no one to help him, Chat Noir would be easily defeated.

The same quality that made her such a fantastic Ladybug, was also the quality that made her a terrifying akuma. 

Scrambling through the bag at his feet, he pulled out the horse miraculous and slipped it on. "Kaalki, we need a portal!" He heard the akuma's cry of frustration as the portal closed behind him and he disappeared into the school. 

Quickly gathering the miraculous he needed, he gave the kwamis a few quick instructions before sending them off to find their holders. 

* * *

Adrien headed downstairs to the courtyard, towards the school doors where his bodyguard was waiting to take him home for lunch. A horrible, heavy feeling had been following him since the moment he had watched Marinette turn teary blue eyes on him, silently begging for help, before running from the classroom.

Had he been wrong? Should he have stood up to Lila? If he had tried to defend Marinette, would anyone have believed him? Would Lila have just turned their classmates against him as well? Would she get angry enough to get akumatized again?

No. It wasn't worth the risk. Marinette would be alright. She always was. 

It had been nearly an hour since she'd left, and no akuma had shown up yet. He was sure that, once she'd gotten away from everyone, she'd calmed down. She'd be back after lunch. Back to her usual positive self, if perhaps a little subdued after her treatment this morning. 

Everything was fine. 

He was pulled from his thoughts when he was nearly bowled down the stairs as Kim darted past him, disappearing into an empty classroom. Max hustled by a moment later, into a different room. Above him, he saw a streak of yellow cross the sky. 

_Was that... Queen Bee?_

No sooner had he thought it, then Rena Rouge and Carapace burst out of the locker room. Pegasus and Roi Singe appeared not long after. _What on earth was happening?_

And why were his teammates at the school?

Ducking into another empty room, he quickly transformed into Chat Noir and tried to call Ladybug to see what was going on. Why had she called on so many of their teammates? When she didn't answer, he took off in the direction he'd seen the others heading. 

A loud bang, followed by several screams sounded behind him and he turned to see the school courtyard rapidly filling with water while students scrambled for higher ground. The streets iced over and cars skidded over the slick surface and crashed into each other.

_Was Syren back? Or Frozer? What the-_

Before he could complete the thought, he was yanked roughly backwards by the collar. He screamed as he flew through the air, smashing through a window. Groaning, he lifted his head off the floor just in time to see- "Rena?" 

The fox holder floated just outside the window, glaring at him. Except, it wasn't Rena. And it wasn't Volpina. He blinked and suddenly it was Evillistrator in front of him... but not the same Evillistrator. This one was a girl. She scribbled something on her tablet, and he was yanked backwards again, this time by Queen Bee's top, just as a cage materialized where he'd just been laying.

Bewildered, he watched as she snarled, transforming again into Mime, who would up an imaginary lasso and cast it in his direction. Rena swooped in to deflect it with her flute before it caught him.

"Nah, uh, bitch! Let's go kitty." she turned and dragged him along with her as they raced scross the office floor they'd landed in and out the opposite window, following the rest of the team, while the strange akuma pursued them as Reverser, on a hoverboard. 

He swerved right as a paper plane flew past his ear and one of his teammates tossed a potted plant from someone's roof back at Reverser, sending her tumbling from the sky. He picked up the pace and caught up with the team, looking around at each of them.

"Will some one _please_ tell me what the hell is going on?" he growled. "And _where_ is Ladybug?"

"Not coming," Carapace answered from his right.

"What?!"

"She's apparently out of commission today," Pegasus replied. "But we weren't told why. Her kwami is standing by to purify the akuma once we release it, however."

"Oookay…" He felt a twinge of disappointment that he wouldn't get to see his lady, but was glad she hadn't left them totally without her help. He'd ask her about it later. "And who exactly is the akuma? How are they able to change forms like that?"

"No idea what her akuma name is," Rena said, tone dripping with disgust. "But it's Marinette. And she's _apparently_ supposed to be the strongest akuma yet." 

Chat's steps faltered and he nearly face planted on the roof. _Marinette_?! No. It couldn't be. She never gets akumatized.

_First time for everything._ A snarky voice in his mind, that sounded suspiciously like Plagg, said.

Before he could contemplate it anymore, the team came to an abrupt halt, half the team on one roof, the rest on the other, as Reverser-Marinette suddenly appeared in the space between them. 

"Woah!"

Several things happened at once. Roi Singe called his power, Carapace grabbed his shield to throw at Reverser who threw a paper plane at him, and Rena raised her flute to her lips. The plane flew through Carapace's chest as he threw the shield, which flew harmlessly past it's target, hitting Roi Singe's hand where the banana had just appeared. It bounced off Roi Singe's head. He tried to use his staff to charge at Reverser, but somehow managed to hit himself in the face instead, sending him tumbling to the ground.

Rena released her illusion which Reverser easily swatted away. She transformed into Sandboy- Sand _girl_?- and blew a handful of sand into Rena's face. She stumbled backward with a scream, swinging her flute wildly as she was suddenly plunged into her own living hell. 

Within a matter of seconds, three of Chat's teammates had their own powers turned on them, and two had wasted their special powers, starting the timers on their detransformations, all while Chat watch on in stunned awe. 

He was still reeling from the revelation that it was _Marinette_ they were fighting. He'd been so sure she would be alright, but had obviously underestimated how much having her friends turn on her, and him not defending her, had affected her. 

Looking at her now, he didn't recognize the girl laughing cruelly as she watched Rena fight off her worst nightmare. When Carapace tried to rush in and help her, Sandgirl became Dark Cupid, hitting him in the back with an arrow. He stopped in his tracks, and began laughing and teasing Rena, distressing her even more.

Pegasus and Queen Bee attacked simultaneously from opposite sides. At the last second, Marinette became Troublemaker, clicking her pen to make herself disappear and the two collided with each other. Solidifying in front of Roi Singe, she became Bubbler, wrapping him in a bubble just as he got to his feet.

Queen Bee shoved Pegasus off herself with a snarled, "Move, idiot!" Getting back on her feet, she pulled back her arm and threw her top as she charged, Pegasus right behind her.

In transformations so fast, he almost didn't see it, Bubbler became Lady Wifi, throwing a 'pause' at Queen Bee, freezing her and her top in place, before becoming Pixelator. Lifting her camera, she snapped a shot of Pegasus, who disappeared with the flash. Just as quickly, Lady Wifi was back, unpausing Queen Bee.

She ducked, dodging the top flying at her head, and popped back up in the akumatized form of Chloe's mother, Style Queen. The glittering figure, startled Queen Bee for a moment, and she tripped over her own feet. 

Style Queen taunted Queen Bee as she fought furiously, her punches and kicks moving uselessly through shifting glitter. When she was close enough, Style Queen became Queen Wasp, stunning Queen Bee with a venom shot to the shoulder. 

Chat was still rooted to the spot, gaping at his now _completely_ decommissioned team as Queen Wasp-Marinette turned to him. A purple butterfly appeared over her eyes, a grin spreading over her face that man Chat shiver. No doubt, Hawkmoth was commending her on the fight so far and telling her to go after his ring while he had no one left to help him. He felt a small measure of relief at the fact that Ladybug wasn't here to witness this, or risk losing her miraculous as well.

Pulling himself together, Chat prepared for a fight as Marinette approached, but froze again when the black and yellow stripes she wore melted into the black and red spots of Antibug. The resemblance to his lady was so jarring, he could hardly breathe. Memories of the Antibug from his Sandboy induced nightmare assaulted him when she spoke.

"Aw, poor kitty. All alone without your Lady to help save your useless ass. She really is better off without you. Imagine how much more she might have been able to do without your dumb ass getting in her way, and distracting her with ill-timed flirting?"

Chat shuddered, and backed away a step. Even her voice sounded the same, saying out loud all the insecure things he'd thought in his own head over the course of their partnership. 

"What good are you to her as a partner when you just stood there and did nothing while your teammates were attacked?" She gestured around her to what was left of his friends. She sniffed. "You're as bad as Adrien; the _coward_."

She flicked her hand in a dismissive gesture and that's when he saw it. The bracelet around her wrist that housed the akuma. His chest tightened as he recognized it as the lucky charm he'd given her for her birthday and a fresh wave of guilt hit him. 

This was _his_ fault. 

Marinette was right, he'd been a coward for not defending her against Lila. Even if it wouldn't have done any good, she was still his friend. She deserved better from him. He'd been worried about Lila being akumatized again, and had prioritized her feelings over Marinette's. Look where that had gotten them. Fighting the most powerful akuma he'd ever seen, without Ladybug to help. 

Not that it mattered much. He'd had an entire _team_ of miraculous holders to help, and Marinette had taken them out, one-by-one in five minutes. 

Indeed, at that moment, he heard the final beeping of Rena and Roi Singe's miraculous. Flashes of orange and gold light preceded the appearance of Alya and Kim, momentarily distracting him as Antibug charged. He just managed to raise his staff in time to block her first shot with her yo-yo.

"Marinette," he pleaded as they fought. "Please, stop this. This isn't you."

She growled as he deflected a punch and swept his legs out from under him with a low kick. He rolled out of the way as her fist slammed into the concrete rooftop where his head had been. Popping up on his feet he tried again to reason with her. 

"You're _such_ an amazing girl, Marinette. You're smart, and kind, you'd do _anything_ for your friends."

He ducked to avoid a spinning kick, throwing out his staff to block the follow-up punch. The entire time they'd been fighting he'd been on the defensive, not wanting to hurt her, even in this form. 

"I'm sorry for what happened to you to make you this way. I'm sure if you just talk to your friends-" he choked on the rest of his words as Silencer appeared in front of him, pressing a finger to his lips.

Her eyes smirked at him behind her visor, shaking her head as she captured his voice. He opened and closed his mouth, looking like a fish as he tried to speak, to no avail. 

While she was preoccupied with his inability to speak, he grabbed for the bracelet on her wrist, but she was faster. Catching his hand, she rammed her head forward, headbutting him in the nose. 

Chat stumbled back a few feet, clutching his nose as his vision blurred briefly. When it cleared, Antibug was before him again. "You talk too much, kitty."

She called for her lucky charm, a terrifying looking sword landing in her hands as she prowled forward. Before she could use the weapon, Chat's eyes darted to the side as a flash of blue caught his eye. Following his line of sight, Antibug quickly morphed into the Collector, using her sketchbook to catch the lyre flying at her head, as Viperion and Ryuuko appeared out of nowhere. He suddenly wasn't alone anymore.

His excitement was short lived, however, as the Collector became Timebreaker, skating forward to tag Viperion, before he could set the time point for his Second Chance. Ryuuko squared up, preparing to call forth one of her elements as she faced off with the newly transformed Stormy Weather.

Chat watched the two stare each other down like an old western. Ryuuko was the only member of the team who's identity he actually knew. Brilliant as Marinette was, Kagami was a formidable opponent. Time would tell if she'd be able to stop her, but she'd bought him some time to come up with a plan.

Calling forth water first, Ryuuko aimed a heavy stream at Stormy Weather, who conjured strong winds to curve the spout around her body, dousing the still dreaming Alya, and making Carapace laugh harder. She tried wind second, which Stormy Weather countered with another powerful gust of her own. 

Knowing what was coming next, Chat crept closer on silent feet, getting into position behind Stormy Weather while she was distracted by her fight with Ryuuko. 

Stormy Weather pointed her umbrella at Ryuuko as she summoned her lightning, doing the same. The two strikes met with a blinding flash and terrific shockwave of energy, throwing both girls back. Stormy Weather flew straight into Chat, who caught her by the arm, ripping off her bracelet.

"No!" she cried as the string tore, releasing the akuma inside.

Tikki quickly swooped in to capture the akuma, releasing it again, now pure white. Tiny ladybugs swirled across the city as she invoked the miraculous cure, and his teammates were released from the magic binding them. 

In his arms, Marinette groaned, clutching her head as she looked around in confusion. 

"Oh no!" she gasped. "Oh my God, I was akumatized!"

"It's ok, Marinette!" Tikki squeaked in front of her, gently patting her cheek. 

Marinette's face crumpled as she shook her head. "No. No it isn't. I can't believe I let that happen! I'm-"

"Hey, hey," Chat stepped in, relieved to hear his voice restored. "It's all right."

"Like hell it is," Alya sneered, as Carapace landed beside them, with her in his arms. "Really Marinette? You got akumatized because we called you out over how you've been treating Lila? What's the matter? Didn't like being outed as a bully? You're as bad as Chloe."

" _Alya_ ," Chat growled in warning as Marinette curled in on herself. She'd done nothing to deserve such abuse, and the vehemence with which her former best friend was attacking her was a bit scary.

"Hey! I resent that," Queen Bee snapped. "I'm nothing like Dupain-Cheng. We're not even in the same league; how dare you compare me to _her_?"

"Yeah!" Kim agreed, crossing his arms. Pegasus stood beside him, hands on his hips. His eyes were hidden by his glasses, but Chat was sure he was glaring too. Even Carapace seemed to have no sympathy for Marinette, which astounded him. _Was no one willing to stand up for her?_

"Back off!" Viperion and Ryuuko stepped between himself, Marinette and the rest of the team. Both of them held defensive positions, staring the others down. 

"She's a _victim_ ," Ryuuko insisted, her voice ice cold. "Just like all of you have been at some point. Some more than others," she added, looking pointedly at Queen Bee who huffed and flicked her ponytail over her shoulder.

"Whatever," Alya said, rolling her eyes. "Let's get out of here, turtle boy. Maybe we'll still have time to grab something to eat since we missed lunch thanks to 'Hey Jealousy' over here."

Chat, Viperion and Ryuuko glared at the others as they tsked, and took off, leaving Marinette behind. Marinette whimpered, and Chat's heart ached when he looked down to see her shaking and crying, arms wrapped around herself. He tightened his hold on her.

"Hey," Viperion said softly, leaning down to eye level. "Are you ok? What happened?"

Marinette shook her head. "I- I- don't w-wanna talk about it."

Viperion appeared as heartbroken as Chat felt as he reached out and squeezed her shoulder, and Chat wondered who he was that he seemed to care so much about her. 

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Ryuuko said, placing a hand on her other shoulder so Marinette was surrounded by support. "Let us walk you home though, so we can make sure you're alright, ok?"

Marinette nodded silently, gravitating towards Viperion who scooped her up in his arms to carry her home. Ryuuko followed as he stepped to the edge of the roof and looked back at Chat. "You coming?"

"You go on," he said, looking around for Tikki; but the little red kwami was nowhere in sight. "I need to talk to Ma- the guardian and figure out what happened to Ladybug."

The duo nodded as Ryuuko's miraculous let out it's first beep. "Better hurry. Later Chat Noir."

He waved them off, deciding to check on Marinette later, as Adrien, to apologize. Hopefully, she would forgive him; but given how disgusted with him she'd seemed, he wasn't so sure.

* * *

Fu watched the group of young heroes, from his hiding spot on a neighboring roof. An ugly feeling settled in his stomach as he watched the people that Marinette had trusted enough to chose to wield miraculous, treat her with contempt. 

Tikki had described what had happened to cause her enough grief to not only _attract_ an akuma, but _accept_ it. Marinette had mentioned the girl Lila before; the liar who pretended to be the fox holder. Despite being akumatized three times, that they knew of (twice in the same form), he hadn't considered her much of a threat before. Now, given the way she appeared to have been able to turn Marinette's friends so thoroughly against her with her words, he was beginning to rethink that. 

Tikki had also told him about the way Adrien had failed to defend Marinette against her friends, though he knew none of what Lila was saying was true. He'd been considering reclaiming the black chat miraculous and giving it to another. The boy Luka, who held the snake, he knew had feelings for Marinette. Perhaps he would make a better partner for her. 

Now, watching the way Chat Noir snapped at one of his teammates and held Marinette protectively, he wondered if the boy had seen the error of his behavior. Adrien was young and naïve, having lived a very sheltered life thus far. He was, perhaps, more socially inept than his peers. Maybe he was learning. Either way, he would keep a closer eye on him. 

Marinette was one of the strongest Ladybugs he had ever seen, and she needed an equally strong and supportive partner. If it turned out that Adrien wasn't up to the job, he would find another. 

Chat Noir looked around as the other two left to take Marinette home, and Fu knew he was looking for him to give an explanation as to why Ladybug hadn't been present for today's fight. He would leave it up to Marinette to decide what to tell him, however. 

He had other miraculous to collect. 

"Alya Cesaire. Nino Lahiffe."

The pair spun around, peering at the old man curiously.

"How do you know our names?" Alya asked, hands planted on her hips. 

"My name is Master Fu, I am the guardian of the miraculous. I distributed your miraculous today in Ladybug's absence, and I have come to collect them."

The couple exchanged a glance, Alya crossing her arms defensively. "Ladybug sent you?" her brow lifted skeptically. 

"It is true," Wayzz said, floating out from behind Nino's shoulder. 

"You know this guy, little dude?"

"Indeed," the little turtle said with a sage nod. "Master Fu has been the guardian and holder of the turtle miraculous for many years."

Alya scowled, and the pair exchanged another look before reluctantly handing over their miraculous. Fu gave both kwamis a snack before replacing their jewels in his bag. 

"I should tell you, that this may well have been the last time you will ever see those miraculous."

"What?!" Alya screeched. "Why?"

"Yeah. I know Alya's time ran out during the fight, but Marinette was preoccupied at the time, she didn't even notice. I doubt Hawkmoth knows her identity." Nino wrapped an arm protectively around his girlfriend's waist.

"That is not the issue here. I am aware of what happened today to lead to Miss Dupain-Cheng's akumatization, namely _your_ parts in it. I'm also aware of your treatment of her _after_."

"So this is Marinette's doing then?" Alya spat. "What authority does she have? It's not our fault she's jealous that Ladybug didn't choose _her_ for a miraculous too."

Fu's expression hardened. "Rest assured that Ladybug herself is just as ashamed of your behavior as I am. I will leave it to her discretion whether she decides to give you another chance as I trust her judgment, but I wouldn't count on it." With that, he turned and left the room, looking for the rest of his targets.

The conversations with Kim and Max went similarly, but with slightly less hostility than he'd encountered with Alya. Surprisingly, Chloe had been the easiest to retrieve her miraculous from. When Fu told her she likely wouldn't receive it again, mainly because Hawkmoth knew her identity, as previously stated, she merely shrugged. 

"Whatever. I'm just glad Ladybug trusted me enough to fill in for her in her absence," she said primly, turning on her heel and marching from the room with her nose in the air. All Fu could do was shake his head. 

Far more impressed with the conduct of the snake and dragon holders, Fu's conversations with those young people went a bit differently. Not wanting to leave Ladybug without help in case her partnership with Chat Noir was weakening, and given the state of her now dismantled team, he allowed them both to keep their miraculous, thanking them for their help.

Then, he went to visit Ladybug.

* * *

Hawkmoth roared in frustration, slamming his cane into the ground. 

_So close._

He'd been _**so**_ close. 

As predicted, Miss Dupain-Cheng had been, by far, the strongest akuma he'd ever created. Her skill and intelligence had been truly impressive to witness as she took out each miraculous holder with nary an issue. If it hadn't been for the formidable Miss Tsurugi, she likely would've succeeded, and all of this would finally be over.

He'd have to keep a closer eye on his son's friend's. One could prove to be the key to his plans and the other a thorn in his side. 

As for Miss Rossi... well she'd unexpectedly proven her worth as an ally again, by pushing Miss Dupain-Cheng over the edge. Perhaps it was time to pay her another visit.

* * *

Ladybug was much subdued at patrol the next evening. After explaining what had happened to her parents, Marinette had stayed home from school the rest of the day and the following. They had asked her to consider whether she wanted to continue at Francoise Dupont, or if she wanted to try a new school. She had decided to give her old school one more chance, to see if her friends had changed their minds at all. If not, she would try somewhere else. 

She wasn't holding her breath.

"You're awfully quiet tonight M'Lady," Chat said from his perch beside her. "Penny for your thoughts?"

She sighed, looking out over the twinkling lights of Paris. "I was just thinking about the akuma yesterday. I have a feeling it's time to rethink some of the decisions I've made regarding our team."

Chat winced. "I'm sorry. You're not thinking of replacing me are you?" He joked, but his heart was pounding. 

He'd stopped by Marinette's house that afternoon when she didn't show up for school. She'd listened to his apology, though she didn't seem particularly impressed. He still had no idea where their friendship stood, but he had a feeling it wasn't good.

"No, kitty," Ladybug smiled at him. "I'm not replacing you. You were there for me- _a-ri-nette-_ when nearly no one else was. She appreciates it, and so do I. I know I can count on you. Some of our friends though... that's a different story."

Chat winced internally. Guilt was still riding him hard, but at least his lady didn't seem upset with him, even if Marinette was. For once, he was actually glad they didn't know each other's identities. If she knew he was Adrien, she may not be as forgiving.

"I have had enough sadness for now, though. How about a lighter topic?"

"As you wish M'Lady... How do you feel about cheese?"

Ladybug's laughter rang out, a bright spot in the dark night.

When Marinette arrived at school the next day, she was unsurprised to find her seat occupied, and was met with a mix of reactions from her classmates from avoiding eye contact, to outright glares. Without a word, she slipped to the back of the classroom, and set her bag down at one of the empty desks. Pulling a small stack of paper from her bag, she returned to the front to lay them on Miss Bustier's desk.

As she returned to her seat, she passed Lila who was sitting in her seat next to Alya, surrounded by other students. She caught snippets of whispers as she passed and clenched her fists, determined to ignore them. 

"I can't believe she got herself akumatized because we called her on her shit," Alex said.

Lila pasted on a sympathetic look worthy of an Oscar. "She's probably just not used to people being so honest with her. You've all been so kind to her for so long. It's hard being treated unfairly..."

Marinette grit her teeth and stared out the window, trying to tune them out.

"Unfairly?" Alya scoffed. "If anyone was being treated unfairly, Lila, it was you. You've done nothing wrong, Marinette was the one being mean. I can't believe we actually elected her class representative, as if she actually cares about anyone but herself. I'm glad you brought that up yesterday, Alex. She should definitely give the title to someone more _deserving_."

Marinette whipped her head around, snapping back at them all, startling a few. "Like none of _you_ have ever been akumatized? Some of you more than once," she glared at Lila. "Everyone forgave _you_. It wasn't your fault. Why am I different?"

"Everyone else got akumatized for _legitimate_ reasons," Alya snarked.

Marinette, pursed her lips to keep from saying something she'd regret. She was so tired of fighting, and after the last few days, she simply didn't have the energy anymore. With a sigh, she turned back to the window. "Not that it really matters now, anyway."

"What does that mean?"

Before she could respond, Miss Bustier entered the room and everyone returned to their seats. Adrien ran into the room late, shooting the teacher an apologetic smile. To the surprise of the class, he walked right past Nino with a short wave, and headed to the back to sit next to Marinette. His friendly smile was met with indifference.

He'd stopped by to apologize yesterday, but to Marinette, it was too little too late. The blinders had been taken off the moment he'd refused to stand up for her. She'd reanalyzed his behavior, noticing flaws she hadn't before. Her new assessment of him, found him lacking, and the crush she'd been harboring for him since day one, had quickly dimmed.

Miss Bustier called the class to order, noticing the papers on her desk. She took a glance at them and frowned up at Marinette. "Uh... Well, class, it seems I have some unfortunate news to give you. It seems Marinette has decided to resign her position as class representative."

There were a few shocked murmurs from her classmates, but several smiled. "Good, she got the memo," someone muttered. Alex, probably.

"I'm also sorry to say that it seems, this will be her last day with us at Francois Dupont."

This announcement got much more attention. Several people, including Alya, turned in their seats to give her shocked looks, while Adrien outright gaped, looking stricken. Chloe rolled her eyes at the news, while Lila made sure Marinette saw her smug, victorious smile before replacing it with the same shocked expression as everyone else.

"I'm sorry to see you go Marinette," Miss Bustier said genuinely. "You'll certainly be missed, but you're a bright, talented young woman. We wish you the best."

Rather than responding, Marinette merely pressed her lips together and nodded. 

Marinette had been texting with Luka a lot the last few days. Sweetheart that he was, he'd wanted to make sure she was alright, claiming to have heard about her akumatization from Juleka. Of course he wasn't aware she knew he was Viperion, having given him the miraculous herself. 

When she'd mentioned switching schools, he'd suggested she look into the arts school that he attended. Having confirmed what she already knew, that her old friends wouldn't be welcoming her back, she texted her parents and asked them to set up an interview there for her. 

It would be better for her, she decided, to be surrounded by more likeminded students who could help cultivate her creative talents, rather than continue suffering the isolation and unappreciated efforts of her current friendships. Perhaps one day, they would see Lila for who she really was, but she wouldn't be there to see it. She was done trying to save them from themselves.

"You're leaving?" Adrien's soft voice sounded from the other side of her locker door, and for once, Marinette didn't startle at the sound of it.

She grabbed the last of her personal belongings, stuffing them in her bag before shutting the door with a smart snap. She met his green gaze head-on, forcibly ignoring the sadness in it. "Yes."

"Is it- because of me?"

"You mean because you didn't stand up for me after promising we were 'in it together'?" He winced. "No. At least, not entirely."

She went to step past him, but was stopped by a question from Alya who was leaning against her locker, watching. "Then why are you leaving?" Most of the sharpness had left her tone and she sounded genuinely confused. 

Suddenly, Marinette was surrounded by her classmates who were all looking at her curiously, and- was that a hint of regret? Ha. The irony. These same classmates were ganging up on her yesterday, calling her names and saying terrible things about her, and now they wanted to know why she was leaving?

_To get away from you._

"The fact that any of you even need to ask that question tells me I made the right decision."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means, I'm leaving because I want to be somewhere where I can make _real_ friends who actually understand me, and appreciate me. Friends who don't ignore the fact that I have obligations and responsibilities beyond homework, and don't just _expect_ me to drop everything and help without returning the favor. Friends who won't make hurtful accusations without proof."

"We had proof!" Alya's voice was defensive, but much weaker than usual.

"The proof of a liar." Marinette held up her hand to stall any protests. "It doesn't really matter if you agree or not. I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually. I just hope, for your sakes, it's before she can do any further damage." She glanced back at Adrien who actually looked contrite. Perhaps his apology had been genuine, but it had still come too late. The time for action was when she'd looked to him for help and he chose to ignore her.

A few students looked contemplative, but still, no one said a word as she pushed her way through the crowd and left the locker room. Lila was waiting for her outside, but Marinette held her hand up when she opened her mouth to speak. 

"Save it Lila. You got what you wanted, I won't be here to oppose you anymore. Can I give you a bit of friendly advice, though?"

Lila sniffed, looking amused.

"Your lies may be winning you friends now, but be careful the web you weave. Lies have a way of coming back to bite you, and a spider who isn't careful, can find themselves caught in their own sticky trap."

Lila rolled her eyes, looking for all the world like she couldn't care less, but Marinette saw the flicker of worry in her expression. Yeah... she'd get hers. Marinette just wished she could be there to witness it.

"Good luck," she said as she turned and walked away. She felt a small sense of satisfaction knowing her current pain wouldn't be for nothing. Karma would come for Lila eventually, but it wasn't her responsibility to make that happen. Perhaps in that sense, Adrien had a point. 

For now, she washed her hands of the whole thing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodness gracious. I'm so sorry to those of you who've been waiting for the ending to this. As I said previously, I was really struggling with how to actually end it. I literally wrote about five different versions. 
> 
> I ended up stumbling upon a new idea this morning, and after some crafty work on my part, I've ended up kinda stringing together pieces from those different endings into something I quite like. 
> 
> I originally thought this was going to end up being a one shot with an epilogue, but the 'Epilogue' ended up being more of a second chapter. Oh well lol

After Marinette left, the class handed the class representative position to Lila, in a near unanimous vote. She accepted graciously, of course- and then artfully pawned off all the responsibility on her classmates. Even with the work spread out among a few students, it soon became clear to them all, just how much Marinette had been doing on her own. 

The first time one of them had a birthday that wasn't celebrated with a Dupain-Cheng confection of some kind, or a thoughtfully handmade gift; the first time one of them had to make a decision or do something they were nervous about without her helpful advice or positive encouragement; the first time one of them was bullied by Chloe with no one there to oppose her... that was when they started to finally appreciate her. 

Of everyone Marinette had left behind, Adrien had perhaps taken it the hardest. When his attempts at forgiveness continued to be rebuffed, he tried instead to bridge the gap using his alter ego. 

"Hello," Chat greeted as he landed quietly on the rooftop. Marinette looked up from her seat on the balcony where she was busy sketching the Paris skyline in the setting sun. 

A soft smile crossed her face when she saw him, and he relaxed slightly. He'd been worried about his reception. As Chat Noir, he and Marinette had an- _interesting_ history. Then, the day she'd been akumatized, while he had been one of the ones to help her after her akuma had been released, he hadn't been as vocal in standing up for her as Viperion and Ryuko had been.

"Hello, Chat Noir." She set her pencil down in the crease of her notebook, giving him her full attention. "What brings you here?"

Gracefully leaping down from his perch, he eyed the seat beside her, taking it when she offered it to him. "Well, I was out on patrol when I came across something I believe belongs to you." He pulled the lucky charm he'd made her from his pocket and held it out to her, watching her reaction carefully. "Thought I would return this to you."

The smile fell from her face, her expression turning blank as she stared at it, but he could see the pain in her eyes. She blinked, turning away and again picking up her pencil as she made a few strokes on the page. Her voice was even, measured when she finally spoke. "Thank you for returning it, but I'm not so sure I really want it back. It didn't turn out to be very lucky after all."

Chat's heart squeezed in his chest at the rejection. It told him more about her feelings for Adrien than anything she'd said to his face. Retracting his hand, he carefully curled his fingers around the beads, before tucking them back in his pocket, out of sight.

"I'm sorry princess... Your friends really hurt you, didn't they?" It was more statement than question.

The skin around her mouth tightened as she pressed her lips together. He could see the grip on her pencil tighten, listened to her take a purposeful breath through her nose, before she nodded. "They did."

He watched her for a long moment, waiting to see if she would say anything else. When she didn't, he asked, "do you want to talk about it?"

He was taking advantage of her, he knew. She would never talk to him, probably wouldn't have even allowed him to join her if she knew who he was. Still, she was the one person he had always thought would be immune to Hawkmoth's power. He wanted to know, beyond the explanation she'd given their classmates, what had been enough to tip her over the edge.

"I was surprised when I heard it was you we were fighting. I had thought-" he stopped himself from saying he'd thought she was better than that. It wasn't fair. Before he could think of anything to complete that sentence, she spoke. Her words were quiet, but they hit hard nonetheless.

"It wasn't the first time." She set her pencil aside again and turned to look him in the eye. The intensity of her blue eyes nearly distracted him, but he forced himself to listen. "I've attracted akumas before. The first time, my teacher ended up taking it when she tried to protect me from it. The second time... I managed to calm myself down enough to deflect it, but it didn't go away completely. Somehow, Lila ended up with it."

Chat's breath stilled in his chest. He remembered both incidents in question. Zombizou, and Chameleon. In both cases, he remembered Marinette being unfairly treated, first my Chloe who had maliciously ruined the gift Marinette had worked hard on for their teacher Ms Bustier, and then when the class had essentially booted her from her seat upon Lila's return to the school without even consulting her. 

And then, there had been the incident last week, when she'd finally succumbed. When the class had ganged up on her, calling her a bully, all because she hadn't been willing to blindly accept Lila's tall tales. 

"And this time?" he asked quietly. 

"By now, I know you've encountered Lila a few times. You're aware of what kind of person she is." She'd stated it as fact, but her eyes seemed to be pleading with him to agree. To believe her. He nodded. Marinette sighed, slumping back in her seat. "Well, I saw through her from the very beginning. I'll admit that, at first, I was partially driven by jealousy, but I still had a hard time believing her wild claims. They were too good to be true, and I didn't understand how no one else could see it. Suffice it to say, she also saw through me. She knew I didn't believe her, so she never really bothered trying to win me over like she did everyone else. Instead, she threatened me." 

Chat stiffened. Lila had threatened her? Why hadn't she said anything?

"She basically said that if I continued to try and fight her, she'd take all of my friends away from me, including the boy I liked. She'd make me a pariah." Chat's brow furrowed, wondering who this 'boy' was. Luka probably, but how would Lila have known about him? He didn't even go to their school. 

"At first, I hadn't been so ready to give in. I didn't want to let someone like her frighten me. Then Adrien, the boy I liked-" Chat went rigid, feeling his eyes widen. _What?_ "-said that we shouldn't provoke her. He was the only other person in our class that seemed to be able to see through her lies, and I wanted to believe he was right. Still, I couldn't quite stop myself from being at least a _little_ petty. Whenever I had an opportunity to question something she said, something that could easily be proven or disproven, I took it."

"She was good though, she always knew how to counter, no matter what I threw at her, and she had the rest of the class wrapped around her finger. So, of course, whenever this happened, they'd shame me for it. They all knew how I felt about Adrien, and they all believed the image she'd managed to create that her and Adrien were- _close_. Everyone would just brush off it off as me being 'jealous'. Which was ridiculous of course. Adrien knew what Lila was. He wasn't interested in her. Not that anyone else knew that. It wasn't just because of him though. I think some of them think I didn't like all the attention she was getting because her life is so 'interesting'."

"Anyways, I guess enough time had passed for her to be able to worm her way between me and all of my friends, because when I tried to call her out again, they didn't just brush me off, they turned on me completely. Called me a bully. _Me."_ She laughed bitterly. "I guess they'd forgotten about all the things I'd done for them. All the times I'd helped them, even when they didn't ask for it. Not that I'm the kind of person who needs a ton of recognition, but... it _hurt_."

Her throat worked as she tried to fight back tears, breaking Chat's heart all over again. He wanted to comfort her, but he knew he hadn't the right. Not when he'd been part of the hurt she was feeling. Still, he couldn't resist reaching out to lay a hand on her shoulder. 

She smiled weakly. "This time, when the akuma came... I didn't _want_ to fight it. I was tired of always being 'the good one'. For once, I wanted to indulge those feelings. The anger, the betrayal, even the jealousy. I wanted to be bad."

"I had hoped that after- that they would, I don't know, be more forgiving?" She shook her head, her smile turning bitter. "But no. They actually _blamed_ me for what happened. Said I brought it on myself. Never mind that some of them had been akumatized for **far** less, and everyone forgave _them_." She shrugged. "So I left. Transferred schools. I'm much happier now, but it still sucks."

"Some of them have tried to apologize, to fix things. I suspect though it's more that they feel bad that I left, not because they're sorry for how they treated me. They still believe Lila's lies. Still think I'm just jealous... I told them I forgave them, but I couldn't bring myself to be friends with them anymore. I couldn't trust them."

Chat dropped his hand from her shoulder, his gaze trained on his feet. Guilt making it impossible to look at her. Hesitantly, he found himself asking, "What about Adrien?"

She scoffed, a sardonic look twisting her pretty features. "Let's just say I got over that pretty quickly."

Chat flinched, and fought not to react when she continued. 

She shook her head, her eyes rolling heavenward. "God, when I think of all the things I did for him... I let him think the scarf I made him for his birthday was from his father. Humiliated myself in front of him more times than I can count when I tried, and _failed_ to confess. I set aside my feelings for him to help him spend time with a girl he liked when he asked. I even made myself look like a fool in front of his father so he would let Adrien come back to school when he'd pulled him out for lying and 'stealing' his book. You remember the Collector?"

"He doesn't have the greatest home life. I'm sure you've probably heard the story about his mom disappearing a while ago, and his father- well, he's not the easiest man to please. He's strict, hardly ever let's Adrien leave the house or spend time with his friends. I felt bad for him."

She scoffed again, making him flinch again. "I had put him on this pedestal; like he was this perfect boy. He was always so passive though. He's been friends with Chloe since they were kids, but he never _once_ bothered to check her behavior, even though I _know_ he disapproved, and he was probably the only person she would have listened to. Besides Ladybug. Why I ever thought he'd stand up to someone like Lila, I have **no** idea."

She groaned, covering her face with her hands. "They broadcast my room, **covered** in pictures of him, on TV, and he _still_ had no idea. I was **such** an idiot. He was never going to see me as anything other than a friend, but I still let myself hold on to this crazy crush for months. What a waste."

She turned to Chat then, and must've seen the stricken expression on his face, for she frowned and laid a hand on his shoulder this time. Her frown deepened when he jerked at the contact, and pulled her hand back. "Chat? Are you alright?"

_No._ He wasn't alright. He felt- _raw_. Exposed. Without knowing, or meaning to, she'd just shredded him to pieces, exposing all of his flaws; the ones he hadn't even been aware of. No, that wasn't entirely true. He'd been aware of them on some level, he'd just ignored them.

She was right. He _was_ passive. It was a trait he'd picked up while learning to deal with his father. He just hadn't realized it had begun spilling into the rest of his life, or the impact it was having on others. 

He _didn't_ agree with the way Chloe treated their classmates, yet all he ever did was excuse it as 'Chloe being Chloe'. She'd shown some small improvements from time to time, but never anything consistent or lasting. If he'd been more encouraging of those good behaviors, would she have changed? He couldn't say for certain, but he _did_ know that by not _dis_ couraging her negative behaviors, he was just as complicit as she was in the pain she inflicted on others. 

He thought about the way he sometimes acted with Ladybug. How she was constantly getting onto him for not taking their job seriously. For flirting at inappropriate times, and how, even after explaining she had feelings for someone else, he persisted with his attempts to woo her, blaming _her_ for not returning his feelings. How he didn't take responsibility for his own mistakes, like with Copycat. That was a different form of passive behavior wasn't it?

Then, he considered the girl beside him. All the things she said she had done for him that he hadn't even realized. Apparently, he was the _only_ one in the class who hadn't seen her feelings for him. Even Lila had. How many times had he called her 'a good friend', or even told her to her face that he liked someone else? Yet, she'd never failed to be kind to him. 

She could've easily taken advantage of certain situations. Like the scarf. He'd thought it was odd at the time that his father had gotten him such a thoughtful gift when most of the things he received from him were usually so impersonal. She'd seen him wear it, heard him say it was from his father. She could've easily corrected him. Told him it had actually been from her. Instead, she had seen how happy it made him to believe it was from his father, and allowed him to continue to believe that.

She could've told him it had been her who'd somehow convinced his father to let him return to school. Instead she said nothing, content that he was happy. And the date she'd helped orchestrate with Kagami… by her own admission, she'd set aside her own feelings for him to help him do that without complaint. 

All because it would make him happy.

She'd even tried to follow his request to not expose and humiliate Lila, and how had he repaid her? By failing to stand up for her when Lila turned their classmates against her. Because he'd been more concerned about Lila becoming akumatized again than he had about _her._

He'd had the respect and adoration of an amazing girl, and he hadn't seen nor appreciated it.

"Chat?" she asked again, her voice achingly gentle. He didn't deserve it.

He swallowed past the emotion clogging his throat and nodded. "I'm okay. I just- I'm so sorry this happened to you, Marinette." He looked her in the eyes and took her hand. "You're an amazing girl. So kind and generous, and one of the bravest people I know. You deserve better."

Her cheeks pinked, but she still wore a concerned expression. Even in light of everything she'd been through, she was still thinking of others. He smiled ruefully, and leaned forward to kiss her cheek before releasing her and standing. He needed time to think, and he couldn't stay here, accepting her kindness as Chat when he hadn't earned it as Adrien. 

"I'm sorry to cut this visit short, but I should get back to patrol," he looked out at the city that was now shadowed in the deep blues of dusk. "I'm glad you're doing better."

She smiled kindly at him, and it gutted him to the core. "Thanks for checking on me, Chat."

He nodded, still forcing a smile to his lips. "I'll see you around Princess."

He took off, running across rooftops, and pushing his body to the limit. When he finally came to a stop on a random rooftop, he pulled out the lucky charm from his pocket and stared down at it. He would do better. He would do his best to correct the behaviors she's called him on until he'd earned back her friendship. Until he was worthy of the feelings she had so freely bestowed on him before. 

Then, perhaps she would accept the bracelet back.

* * *

Ladybug noticed a marked difference in Chat's behavior and attitude after he'd stopped by to visit her as Marinette. She wasn't sure what had brought it on, and while she would have gladly welcomed it before, the abruptness of the change worried her somewhat. 

He no longer flirted with her, didn't even use the many nicknames he had adopted for her. He stopped trying to get her to spend time with him outside of their duties as heroes, and stopped confessing his feelings for her.

He began taking their training and battles more seriously, no longer taking as many impulsive risks, thinking through his decisions more thoroughly instead of just jumping in. He would allow her time to assess the situation, following her lead and offering solid ideas when she needed them. She was still worried about what had changed him so drastically, but she couldn't complain about the results. Their bond as partners grew stronger as she began to trust him more, the two of them working more in sync, like the team they were meant to be. 

To her surprise, she began hearing stories about changes in Adrien's behavior as well. According to the stories she'd hear from Juleka (one of the few people from her old school she had actually opted to stay friends with, along with Rose), Adrien had begun standing up to both Chloe and Lila. Gradually at first, but more and more over time, until Chloe actually began correcting some of her behavior. 

Lila on the other hand, hadn't changed at all, instead using Adrien's new attitude towards her as a way to try and turn the class against him as well. 

He also hadn't stopped trying to win back her friendship. At least once a week, her parents would tell her he stopped by the bakery to try and see her. By her request, they always turned him away, yet, he kept coming. The longer he persisted, the closer she came to relenting.

Even if she let him back in her life, she told herself, she wouldn't allow herself to be fooled again. No more false friends, she promised herself. And yet, he was the only one who still bothered to keep trying. He hadn't just accepted her forgiveness to assuage his own guilty conscience, like the other's had, before going his own way. That, in itself, was enough to make her reconsider.

* * *

Adrien usually spent his lunch breaks at home, eating alone in the massive, empty dining room. Today, however, he had managed to convince his father to let him stay at school instead. He had been working on a project for the last few weeks and he needed to be here with his classmates today to finish it. Or at least, that was what he'd told his father.

In reality, the 'project' was more of a secret, a surprise for his classmates, and he wanted to make sure everything went according to plan.

It had started with calling in a few favors; which were happily granted. Then, it had been a matter of making sure the right people would be present to witness. An anonymous note left in Alya's locker ensured the fledging reporter was waiting eagerly, with her phone ready to record. Apparently, she was planning to live stream, which really couldn't have worked out better for Adrien's plan.

As expected, she had also been sure to inform the rest of their class that she'd heard "something big" would be happening at lunch today, and she was sure they wouldn't want to miss out. They were all now lingering in the courtyard, brimming with curiosity. Even Chloe could be seen on the fringes of the crowd, wearing a deceptively disinterested expression.

Adrien checked his phone and seeing it was almost time, positioned himself against a pillar near the front of the courtyard where he wouldn't draw attention, but would still be able to see and hear everything that was about to happen. He heard a muffled snicker next to his ear where Plagg was hiding; peeking through Adrien's hair to watch as well. 

Right on cue, he heard Alya gasp, raising her phone in front of her face as the first of their 'special guests' arrived. Adrien made himself comfortable, allowing a small smirk to lift the corner of his lips.

The show was about to begin.

"Oh wow! Jagged Stone!" Alya cried, quickly bringing up her blog's livestream and pressing the button to begin recording. 

In a matter of seconds, she was surrounded by excited classmates as the singer walked into the building with all the swagger expected of the rock star he was. His assistant Penny followed behind him, being dragged along by Jagged's pet crocodile, Fang, on a leash. Everyone made sure to give them a wide berth. 

Flashes from cameras went off all around as Jagged posed for pictures, smiling and winking at his adoring fans. Alya watched in awe for a moment before shaking herself. She couldn't just post a video of him smiling at cameras. She needed to get him talking.

"I can't believe it! What are you doing at our school?"

Jagged's attention snapped away from a group of girl's he'd been signing autographs for. "Oh, I'm looking for my favorite girl, Marinette. I had a rocking idea for a new album cover, and I wanted to see if she could do it for me." His brows pushed together as he scanned the group of students before him. "Where is she, anyway? Isn't this her school?"

All of Marinette's former classmates shifted uncomfortably. 

"She, uh- left..." Alya said finally.

Jagged's face was full of concern. "Oh, no. Did she go home sick?"

More uneasy shifting.

"Uh- no. I mean- she left, as in, she transferred. To another school," Alya explained with a wince.

Jagged's frown deepened. "Did something happen?" 

Several sets of eyes looked away guiltily. Alya caught sight of Lila near the back of the group and had a sudden idea to redirect Jagged's attention from Marinette. Reaching over, she latched on to the girl's arm, surprising her as she dragged her to the front. "I'm sure Lila can help you Jagged!"

"Lila? Who's Lila?" Jagged stared blankly at the pair.

Alya didn't notice Lila's barely concealed grimace as she tried to melt back into the crowd, but was unsuccessful with Alya still holding her arm. "Lila Rossi," Alya said, again pulling Lila to the front. "The girl who saved your kitten. Remember?"

"Kitten? I've never owned a cat. Just Fang here." He reached down to pet the happy crocodile, cooing softly. "And I have no idea who this Lila person is."

He looked up at the girl next to Alya, who wore a strained smile as her classmates looked at her curiously. Jagged, of course, knew _exactly_ who the girl was, having already been informed of what she'd done to his girl Marinette. It was the reason he was here. 

"Are you a fan dear? Would you like an autograph? I believe Penny has an extra copy of my last album that Marinette designed the cover for. I'm always happy to give to my fans," he said with a charming grin.

Lila let out a pained laugh as she scrambled for something to say that would save face. Before she could come up with anything, more gasps went up around the courtyard as Clara Nightingale strutted in. With everyone's attention momentarily diverted, Lila slipped out of Alya's hold and attempted to escape, but got caught up among the bodies of students as they surged forward to get closer to the new arrival. 

"Clara! Darling!" Jagged leaned in to greet Clara with a kiss on the cheek as more cameras flashed.

"Hello, Jagged! It's awesome to see you! Are you here for the amazing Marinette too?"

"Ah, yes! Sadly, I've just learned our favorite little lady has changed schools." The pair exchanged sad faces.

"Oh, dear! I hope everything's okay. I was hoping she could, once again, save the day!"

Adrien's smirk grew as he watched Lila flush with embarrassment and anger at the attention Marinette was getting. _And she wasn't even here_! 

He'd told her once that she shouldn't hurt his friends. Yet, when the opportunity arose for him to defend Marinette, he'd failed. There was nothing he could do to undo that day, but he was determined to make sure that **both** girls got the justice they deserved. 

He glanced at his phone again as Plagg cackled happily behind his head. _Any second now..._

A phone rang, followed by Rose's excited squeal. "Prince Ali is calling!"

Everyone gathered around her, pushing Lila further into the center of the action as Rose accepted, and the prince's face filled her screen.

"Miss Rose! So nice to see you again!"

"Prince Ali! It's nice to see you again too!" 

"I hope I'm not interrupting?"

"No, of course not! I'm just at lunch break, with my classmates." 

Rose perked up suddenly as she caught sight of Lila, again trying to escape back through the crowd. She spun around, pulling the girl into the frame behind her. "Oh! You probably wanna say hi to Lila too!"

The prince frowned in confusion. "Lila? Lila who?"

"Lila Rossi. Her family was just staying at your palace."

"There hasn't been anyone staying at the palace lately. Aside from a few foreign dignitaries, but none of their names are Rossi. I'm not sure who you mean."

Rose's pretty face scrunched in innocent confusion as she looked at Lila. In fact, the whole class was looking at her, and _she_ rather looked like she wanted to disappear.

Adrien used the classes distraction to slip out of the courtyard unnoticed. His plans had almost reached their conclusion, but he had one final nail to hammer into the coffin. One last visitor. 

He had considered enlisting the help of Ladybug, but was unsure his partner would entirely approve of his plans. She may well be angry with him later, but he'd find a way to get himself out of trouble. After all, sometimes it's better to beg forgiveness than ask permission.

Everyone's attention was suddenly diverted when Chat Noir landed on the roof overlooking the courtyard and called down to them all. "Hey guys! Have any of you seen Ladybug pass by, by chance? We were playing a game cat and bug and I seem to be having a hard time _cat_ -ching her." He laughed at his own pun, which earned little more than blinks from his audience.

"Oh, wow. Is that Jagged Stone and Clara Nightingale! Hey!" He waved down at the singers who waved back with knowing grins. He was in on the plan too.

"Lila might know," Alya said lamely, still holding her phone in front of her, apparently too shocked to stop recording. _Good_.

Chat tilted his head to the side with a frown before extending his staff and sliding down to ground level. "Who?"

"Lila," Alix said in a bored voice, pointing at middle of the crowd where students had parted to bring her into view. "She's apparently Ladybug's best friend."

Chat's lip jutted out as he looked the girl up and down before shrugging. "I don't recall ever meeting her outside of the times she was akumatized."

"Time _s_? As in plural?" He heard Alya ask, but ignored her.

"Even if she was Ladybug's friend, I'm sure LB would never want it to be known. It could put her in danger. I wouldn't keep telling people that. We don't want Hawkmoth to come after her, now do we?"

Murmurs spread throughout the crowd, many of Lila's classmates wearing thoughtful expressions, and Chat knew his work was done. Smiling cheerily, he waved at the group again.

"Well, I should probably get back to the chase. Wouldn't want my lady to think I've given up on her. Later!" he called over his shoulder as he extended his baton and vaulted away, leaving a rather stunned crowd.

For a moment, no one spoke. A few people stared at Lila, who seemed frozen to the spot. Finally, Alya realized it was time to stop recording and lowered her phone before taking a cautious step towards her classmate. 

"Lila?"

Without a word of response, she burst into tears and ran from the courtyard. 

Adrien watched Lila run blindly past, hands covering her face, and felt a brief flash of guilt. "Plagg, do you think we might've gone too far?"

The kwami swallowed a chunk of cheese and shook his head. "No way. She got exactly what she deserved, if you ask me. Besides, it's not like you were actually attacking her. Some famous people showed up, for reasons that had nothing to do with her, and your classmates simply asked about the claims she'd made regarding said famous people. You merely made sure they got the facts, straight from the source. Nothing wrong with that, that I can see."

Adrien grimaced, still feeling a bit guilty. "I guess you're right. She looked pretty upset though. What if she gets akumatized again?"

"So what if she does? Nothing new there. At least this time she might actually have a legitimate reason. Eventually Hawkmoth will get tired of using the same person when she keeps failing.... Then again... Mr Pigeon..."

Adrien cringed, but almost laughed. "I guess that's true. I put her feelings above others before; worried she would get akumatized, and instead, Marinette did."

"Exactly. Don't wanna make that mistake again."

Plagg disappeared into Adrien's shirt as he rose from where he'd been hiding, crouched against the stairs outside the school. As nonchalantly as possible, he made his way back into the courtyard, just as Jagged and Clara were taking their leave to "find Marinette". He nodded subtly to both of them in thanks as they passed. Neither said a word, but Clara smiled and waved, as did Penny, and Jagged winked. He felt his phone buzz and found a text message from Prince Ali. A thumbs up, to which he responded with two more and a smiley face.

As soon as he walked through the door, Nino slung an arm around him wearing a bemused expression. "Dude. You will not believe what just happened." His friend began relaying the story to him, but Adrien didn't need to listen, having seen it all himself. 

Instead, he looked around to gauge the reaction of his classmates, who were all talking amongst themselves, wide-eyed. He spotted Chloe across the way, pushing her hair off her shoulder with a bored flick of her wrist, telling Sabrina, "I always knew she was a fake. The little attention seeker. There's no way Ladybug would ever be friends with the likes of _her_. Not when she has me." Sabrina nodded dutifully, though she seemed to be hardly listening.

He wasn't sure yet what the full extent of the fall out would be, but he could tell the plan had worked. He hadn't needed to debunk all of Lila's lies. It had been sufficient enough to cast doubt on some of those claims that were easily disproven. His classmates 'discernment' would do the rest.

He hadn't actually needed Clara to disprove anything, as Lila had made no claims about her, as far as Adrien knew. He was aware, however, that Alya (and many other of their classmates) had believed that the only reason Marinette disliked Lila, was because she was jealous. Utterly ridiculous in his opinion, as Chloe might say. Leaving aside what he'd recently learned about her feelings for him, Marinette had plenty enough notable claims to fame, which Clara helped remind everyone of. Plus, from what he knew of her, she didn't seem the type to want or need to be the center of attention. She had no reason to be jealous.

A satisfied smile spread over his face. The only thing that might have made this better, was if Marinette had been here to witness it all herself. Alas, Alya's video would have to suffice, since she wasn't currently speaking to him. 

He thought of the lucky charm he had made for her; the one that had held her akuma. It saddened him to think he had lost a friend, and that it was his own fault. He hoped this made it up to her somehow. Though, in that moment, he realized it didn't matter if she knew he had been the one to arrange it or not. It was simply enough to think she might feel some peace, knowing she had been proven innocent.

* * *

As it turned out, Adrien's plan might have worked a little _too_ well. It also seemed Lila wouldn't be the only one to pay for her lies being exposed either.

Once Alya got past her shock, it didn't take her long to realize that Lila being proved a liar would affect her too. She had previously cited the girl as a source on her blog; one she hadn't bothered to factcheck before posting about what she had been told. Those who were smart enough to put the pieces together, would realize Alya hadn't done her homework as she ought to have, and would likely now consider her an unreliable source.

She deleted the video from her blog the moment she realized this, but since it was a livestream, it had already been viewed, shared and uploaded several times over. She learned a hard lesson that day about being careful what you post online. Once it's on the internet, it's nearly impossible to erase entirely.

The video was quickly went viral, and was even picked up by a few local news stations. Mostly focused on the rather astounding coincidence of so many celebrities being present at a school all at once; a few of them looking for a specific student. To some viewers however, Lila's downfall was readily seen.

For instance, the French ambassador to Italy (aka Mrs Rossi), was sent the video by her secretary, who'd seen it on a news feed. "Isn't this your daughter?" She'd taken an immediate trip to the school to speak with the principal, and was soon apprised of many of the other claims her daughter had been making, of which she had been unaware. 

Furious and thoroughly embarrassed, she had withdrawn Lila from the school to be tutored at home under strict supervision, and demanded she begin seeing a therapist to help deal with her apparent compulsion for lying.

The whole school was buzzing about it for several days after, while the entirety of Ms Bustier's class realized that Marinette had been right about Lila from the beginning. They had treated her very unfairly indeed.

Much to Adrien's relief, Lila did not end up becoming akumatized, despite her obvious upset. Little did he know, this was because Hawkmoth had been one of those viewers who had understood the true implications of the video.

"Sir," Nathalie said as she stood beside her boss, both of them watching the video on her tablet. "I'm not sure how this happened, but I don't think a continued alliance with Miss Rossi would be wise."

"No, indeed," Gabriel scowled. "Now that's she's lost her power to manipulate others, she's of no use to me."

"Will you send an akuma after her?"

"To what end? She's already failed three times," he sneered. "At least she served her purpose in upsetting Miss Dupain-Cheng enough to be akumatized. She was my strongest one yet. We'll simply have to find a way to turn her again. _She_ will be the one to finally defeat Ladybug and Chat Noir, I'm sure of it."

"But Ladybug did not even show up to that fight. She sent the rest of her team in instead and let her kwami purify the akuma for her. What if she does so again?"

"Yes, but Ladybug has no powers without her kwami, all Miss Miraculous needed to do was capture it, and Ladybug would've been forced to come for it. In any case, I sensed some discord amongst Ladybug's team. I have a feeling it may be some time before we see another hero come to her aid."

Marinette had, of course, seen the video, as she was intended to; watching it with a sense of bittersweet satisfaction. Lila had finally been exposed, and by sources she knew her old friends would actually believe. This is no way negated the pain she'd felt in knowing they hadn't trusted her; that her word hadn't been enough.

Since neither Jagged nor Clara had actually come to seek her out after the video was made, not to mention that she knew for a **fact** that she and Chat Noir had not been playing chase across the city during school hours, she came to the conclusion that the video had been contrived with the express purpose of outing Lila. Whether Prince Ali's part in it was intentional, or mere coincidence, she couldn't say. What she did know, however, was that she could think of only one person who had the connections and influence to make it possible.

She landed on the appointed rooftop with a soft thud, to find Chat Noir already waiting for her to begin patrol. 

"Evening, Ladybug. Are you ready?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and studied him. "I saw the video."

He froze, his tail pausing mid-twitch. "Did you?" he asked, his tone that of a child expecting a scolding. She almost laughed, but forced herself to keep a straight face.

"I did. Quite the coincidence that not one, but _four_ celebrities would drop in at a public school on the same day. And you among them no less. Shouldn't you have been in school yourself?" She quirked a brow at him.

Chat leaned away slightly, watching her warily. It took all of her self control not to laugh at the silly kitten. "It was lunchtime?"

"Ah. I see." She nodded seriously.

Suddenly, Chat's posture straightened and he fired back with a defensiveness that both shocked, and warmed her. "You and I both know the girl's a liar. I mean, even her akuma forms rely on deception. After hearing what she did to Marinette- something had to be done about her. Marinette's always been kind to me, and she's even helped us with akumas a few times. So, when I was asked to help, I said yes! The only reason I didn't tell you was because I wasn't sure you would approve, but you know what? I don't care if you do! I still think it was the right thing to do, and I won't apologize for it!" He concluded his speech by folding his arms together and nodding sternly, as if to emphasize his point.

Ladybug blinked, her arms dropping to her side. "Wha- _asked_ to help? You mean this wasn't _your_ doing?"

Chat winced. "Well... no, not really..."

"Who then?" 

"...Adrien Agreste?"

"ADRIEN?!?"

"Uh, yeah? He called in some favors. Clara and Jagged are both fond of Marinette, I don't think it was hard to get them on board. Prince Ali, I suspect was more concerned about making sure someone wasn't wrongly profiting from an invented connection to his family. And, well, you already know my reasons." Chat shrugged.

"But don't be angry with him," he added quickly. "He was just trying to help a friend."

Ladybug stared at him, mouth agape. She composed herself quickly, with a clearing of her throat. "I'm not mad at him, kitty. Or you. I'm just surprised."

Chat blinked, the tension dropping from his shoulders. "Oh. Good."

"Anyways," Ladybug said, after a short silence. "I'm glad Lila's been taken care of. The less power she has over others, the less effective a tool she will be for Hawkmoth. It disturbed me as much as anyone that Marinette was akumatized. She's perhaps the last person I expected to be a victim, and to be honest, if it were to happen again, I'm not sure we could beat her a second time."

"We might, if you were there. Not that I'm accusing you, I know I've been absent from fights before, I'm just saying."

"I know. She was able to take down our entire _team_ though, and since I'm not sure how long it will take to replace them-"

"Replace them?"

She gave him a look. "Yes. I know you saw who a few of them were. They're her classmates. All of them are, if I'm being completely truthful. I also know you saw how they acted towards her after her akuma was released. We **never** treat victims like that. Would you really trust any of them enough to work with them again?"

Chat grimaced. "No. I suppose you have a point. What do we do now then? That's-" he paused to count. "- _seven_ people to replace."

"Six, actually. Though I wish it were only five; but we both know we can't risk using Kagami again unless absolutely necessary. We can give out as many or as few as we want though. Given the way Hawkmoth's attacks have been ramping up lately, with the addition of Mayura, I think it's time some other miraculous start staying active on a more permanent basis. So, it's important we choose wisely, and I actually think I may have a few good candidates."

"Six? Who would you keep?"

"Viperion. He's _not_ one of her classmates, and of all of them, he's the only one who behaved as he should. Plus, I think he may have been the only correct choice I made to begin with," she admitted sheepishly, knowing he hadn't even been her first choice. She still felt guilty for that. "Coincidentally, it's Viperion who recommended the people I'm considering. Though of course, he has no idea that he did so. It's still important for their identities to remain a secret. I just need some more time to observe them, to make sure they're a good match. We can always do 'trial runs' before making a final decision?"

Chat shrugged. "You're the boss. I trust your judgement."

She smiled wryly, having _just_ finished confessing to choosing wrongly before, but she appreciated her partner's confidence in her nonetheless.

* * *

Perspective is a wonderful thing. 

For Marinette, the change in perspective, that she always needed to be the one to fix things, changed a lot for her. She was a lot less stressed out for starters. That in itself changed a lot of things. She slept better, making mornings a bit easier to handle. She was more relaxed, which helped her creativity flow better. She had more time to spend doing things she enjoyed, with people she liked. Even her superhero persona benefited from the change.

She began to rely more on Chat Noir, giving him a chance to prove his worth, and strengthening their overall dynamic. Since she no longer called on her old classmates to help anymore, Luka began spending more time as Viperion, until Marinette began making new friends, finding others she could trust to wield the miraculous.

Art school turned out to be the perfect place for Marinette. Not only was she happier and more creatively fulfilled, she was thriving. Her skills improved exponentially with the benefit of better instruction, and the encouragement of her teachers and peers improved her confidence.

Luka had been thrilled when she transferred, and though he was almost two years ahead of her, he introduced her to all of his friends, all of whom went out of their way to make her feel welcome. Not wanting to let her previous experiences ruin any potential friendships in the future, Marinette set aside the hurt still lingering from her dissolved friendships and opened herself up to Luka and his friends, and was rewarded with a new group of fun, smart, and creative people, who were unfailingly loyal. It was these same friends she was considering to be a part of her new team.

There was the infinitely imaginative writer, Allegra, whom she thought would make an excellent Fox wielder; Claude, who was an aspiring actor with a penchant for causing chaos, that might make a good match for the Monkey; and the loyal and protective Allan, a talented musician, who she thought would be a good Turtle holder. The similarities between him and Nino were not lost on Marinette, but she still thought he would make a good hero as he seemed less easily led than the previous one. 

And then there was Felix... She'd been somewhat surprised to find him considered part of the group of friends. He was rather quiet and reserved, serious in nature, but Marinette thought that was more because he wasn't particularly social, rather than because he was one of those vain people who thought himself above others. She wasn't exactly sure what his chosen art was, though she thought she'd heard someone mention ballet. The image of the brooding young blonde in a leotard and tights had nearly made her laugh out loud. 

Still, she had already learned he was a rather renowned chess player and thought perhaps his head for strategy might be well put to use with the Bee or Horse miraculous. Possibly even the Rabbit. 

During their battle with the futuristic Timetagger, future Alix had retrieved her miraculous from them in the present. However, she was fairly certain that the present day version of the Rabbit miraculous was still in the miracle box, which meant it could still be used by another. She wondered briefly how that might affect timelines, and decided to bring it up with Fu the next time she saw him. 

And then there was Adrien. 

Even after learning what he had done, orchestrating the video to out Lila, she had still hesitant to accept his attempts at friendship. She felt so stupid for the time she had wasted with her crush on him, and the fool she had made of herself in her failed attempts to gain his attention, but she was mature enough to recognize that that wasn't his fault. Yes, he'd done wrong by her with the way he'd handled the Lila situation, but clearly, he had taken her rebukes against his inaction to heart and had corrected his behavior. From what she'd heard from Juleka about his more recent dealings with Chloe, and his interactions with Lila before her ultimate downfall. 

He might have tried to use the fact that he'd been the one to ultimately bring Lila down (in a rather brilliant and effective way, that had allowed her lies to expose themselves without calling her out outright), to gain Marinette's good favor, but he hadn't. If she hadn't heard it from Chat Noir, she still might not have known it was him at all. To her mind, that said a lot about his character, and ultimately helped her decide that he had learned his lesson.

About a week after the video had gone live, he'd shown up at her parent's bakery after school again (as he'd done nearly daily for the past few weeks), and this time, she consented to see him. He apologized again for not being there for her, but she interrupted him, informing him that yet another apology wasn't necessary. She'd already forgiven him. He held up the lucky charm he'd made for her birthday as a peace offering, and she'd held out her wrist for him to tie it on. They watched silently as she fingered the beads with a fond smile. They were both aware that their friendship still needed work, but it was a start. 

While on patrol one night, Chat and Ladybug sat discussing the candidates Ladybug had presented as teammates, each of them having made an appearance during the last few akuma attacks, and Chat readily agreed, they were all perfect. 

Since Ladybug still insisted on the need for identities to remain secret, they never mentioned names, but as she contemplated other possible candidates, she couldn't help speaking her thoughts aloud, ignoring her own rule. "What about Adrien Agreste?" she asked, entirely missing the way her partner stiffened beside her. 

Chat's eye's widened as he recalled the one time Ladybug had attempted to give him a miraculous, unaware that he was already in possession of one. It had been a right disaster. "Uh- I think perhaps he might be a bit too busy to be a superhero. With all the modeling stuff and all."

Ladybug conceded with a sigh. "Yeah, I suppose that's true. Still, he probably would have looked good in catsuit. Chat?!"

Chat Noir had swooned, toppling off the roof with a dreamy smile. _Ladybug thinks I'm cute!_

**Author's Note:**

> So, the idea for this story came after reading the [Fake Apology AU](https://nobodyfamousposts.tumblr.com/post/184357840420/angelofthequeers-nobodyfamousposts) that began with Nobody Famous. Obviously, I've veered a bit since the 'fake apology' part of it isn't part of this story, but I liked the over all tone.
> 
> The idea for Marinette's akuma was partly inspired by the episode Gamer 2.0 when Ladybug uses the powers of multiple characters to defeat Gamer. Obviously I didn't use _all_ previous akumas, partly because a lot of them had powers that just weren't relevant and also... there's been 68 episodes so far guys, that's **a lot** of villains lol Also, I took a bit of creative license with some of the powers, but whatever.
> 
> For me, this really works best with Marinette's character because, as we've seen, she's very resourceful. She makes a good akuma for lots of reasons: A) she's wicked smart; B) as far as we know she's given out all of the miraculous, besides Chat Noir, so she has the benefit of knowing their personalities and weaknesses (I'm assuming her and Fu discuss their picks so she would know Kim has the monkey even though Fu was the one who gave it to him in Party Crasher); C) Even though she doesn't know Chat's identity, she's still his partner and knows him well, they're pretty evenly matched which is why he's basically the only one she doesn't take down, and actually fights for the longest. 
> 
> We all know that if she gets akumatized, everyone's in big trouble but, unless she fails to remove her earrings, then in theory, someone else could still use them, or Tikki herself can help, like in this story. However, I think we often underestimate her true potential as a villain.
> 
> Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed writing this, I hope you enjoyed it as well!


End file.
